Journal of Fisheries & Livestock Production
Open Access

Livestock farming is the practice of keeping animals for purpose or pleasure. Beef and dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, horses, mules, asses, buffalo, and camels are all discussed in this article; commercially raised birds for meat or eggs (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and squabs) are discussed elsewhere. See dairying for more information on dairy cattle breeds, feeding, and management. See the article meat processing for further information on the nutritional value and processing of meat products. See the article horse: Breeds of horses for further information on horse breeds. Historically, a powerful, well-developed nation has been defined by its efficient and prosperous animal agriculture. Such agriculture allows a country to store enormous amounts of grains and other foodstuffs in concentrated form, which can then be used to produce animals for human nourishment in times of conflict or natural disaster. Furthermore, meat has long been known for its great nutritional value, which results in people who are stronger and healthier.

Cattle, sheep, and goats are ruminant (cud-chewing) animals that convert huge amounts of pasture forage, harvested roughage, or byproduct feeds, as well as non protein nitrogen like urea, into meat, milk, and wool. As a result, ruminants are incredibly essential; meadows and pasture cover more than 60% of the world’s agriculture. Poultry are also excellent at converting feed into protein; chickens, in particular, are unrivalled in terms of meat and egg output.

Cattle

Cattle breeds for beef

The Hereford breed, which is said to be the first to be developed in England, is thought to have descended from a mix between whitefaced, red-bodied cattle from Holland and smaller black Celtics endemic to England, particularly Herefordshire. The long process of selective breeding that culminated in the smooth, meaty, and prolific Herefords had begun by the middle of the 18th century. In 1817, Kentucky politician Henry Clay brought the first purebred Herefords to the United States. The white forehead, flanks, and underline, white stockings and tail, and white crest on the neck characterised the Hereford, which has become the most popular beef breed in the United States. The colour of its body varies from cherry to mahogany crimson. It is of medium size, with modern breeders succeeding in increasing both its rate of weight gain and mature size in response to consumer demand for leaner, cheaper beef.

Although the Galloway breed originated in the ancient territory of Galloway in southwestern Scotland, it is likely that it shared a common ancestor with the Angus. The wavy black hair on the Galloway’s coat distinguishes it from other breeds. Despite the fact that the breed has never achieved the same level of popularity as other beef breeds, it has been widely used in the production of blue-gray crossbred cattle, which are generated by mating white Shorthorn bulls to Galloway cows. The Charolais breed, which originated in France’s Charolais region, has grown in popularity in the United States as a result of crossbreeding with British varieties to produce market cattle. The pure French Charolais’ superior size, rate of gain, and substantial muscling, as well as the hybrid vigour resulting from the crossing of unrelated breeds, promise growing popularity for this breed. Many American Charolais, on the other hand, have considerable levels of Brahman blood, resulting in a diminution in size, growth rate, and muscling. The Charolais is the most popular meat-cattle breed in France and Europe.

The Normandy, France’s most popular breed, is smaller than the Charolais or Limousin and was developed as a dual-purpose breed capable of producing both milk and meat. The Maine Anjou, the largest of the French breeds, is a fourth major breed.

Grass for cattle

Roughages of both low and high quality can be used by beef cattle, including pasture forage, hay, silage, corn (maize) fodder, straw, and grain by-products. Non protein nitrogen is also used by cattle in the form of urea and biuret feed additives, which can fulfill one-third to half of the protein requirements of beef animals. Non protein nitrogen is relatively inexpensive and abundant, and it is commonly provided in grain rations, liquid supplements including molasses and phosphoric acid, or mixed with silage at ensiling time; it can also be found in supplement blocks for range cattle or in range pellets.